Both Blessing and a Curse
by ovo-je-smijesno
Summary: Shapeshifters, Gatlin children, and the Texas' favorite cannibals all come together. Qiana and her friends become stranded out in the rural and suspicious part of Texas. What will become of them? Rated M for violence, language, and romance in later chapters (not too full of smut however). R&R and patience are much appreciated! : )


Down the dirt road an oasis settled by the soft, hot breeze chimed by willow trees. Beyond it, over the hillside was a property of three huge houses with worn out paint and a brown Barnyard. It had few horses and sheep scattered about, brown and green glass bottles hanged about on dead shrubs, broken down and rusted old cars buried halfway deep in sand housing bees and mice, and a water well still very much alive. In Texas your bound to see all types scenery however, it may not be so normal as the Bullard family had their way of keeping to themselves. They weren't "normal" per say, but could fool anyone in town, being Shapshifters they have to keep in shadows anyways to avoid detection, and to stay in organized clans to be protected, but other than that their kind had always been reckless.

Qiana Bullard, an adoptee into the family knew all this too well, recklessness was just crime and terrorism in their shapeshifting world as the pressure, or disguise of being hidden twists you into thinking you're invincible. Almost every shapeshifter in a clan was involved with such pettiness. Qiana didn't really go along with the customary no matter if it did landed her to be an outsider. She was a loner any how, along with four other children on the ranch that were adopted. all of them had something in common: their parents were killed by clan leaders after they refused to join because they deemed the rules too demanding. You had to join or keep running for your life. Her heart sinks every time it's mentioned or thinks about it. She was only three when they came in the night and lit their house on fire. So much screaming.

She shook her head to forget about it, and went back to playing another song on her radio. Enjoying everything from blues and rock 'n' roll, she loved it all not so much into disco however. Taking a deep breath as the CD started to play, she went back to laying on the wooden floor of the attic. Her room. Her lone space. She loved solitude like this and didn't mind being alone. Sure she'd seek out the company of others when she wanted, but that was only of her family and her only two friends. One being Caz, a (preferred) boy who was perceived popular and a bitch but was at heart, humble and looked out for Qiana and other kids who converted into clans, she was everyone's friend and wanted to help those who needed to either conform or stick out - but got a lot of problems for being transgendered. Qiana's other friend, Jeremy "Germs," lived as another adopted kid with her, nice but a on painfully shy side. Qiana could understand that, as she was also in a shell.

_Keep on searching for a heart of gold._

Looking out the window she wondered if the other kids would be out and about in the heat the other two were only 4. She wondered about distant friends that didn't live near her, but met during a mass gathering. Like the "runt of clans" - the rejects.

_But I'm getting old._

Sighing she rolled over toward under her bed. Caz managed to get Qiana involved with pot but nothing else as it proved to actually help her taking her mind off of things, as she preferred to avoid them. Right when she was about to light, inhale, and float away again, the door flung open.

Frighten, thinking it was Mr. or Mrs. Bullard, it was instead a grinning Caz. "Heeey! Looks like my blondie IS catching along!" He said laughing. Qiana hated it when nobody in the house knocked anymore, nonchalantly she asked, "What are you doing here? I thought you would be over at trashy fucking Jordan's house." Caz never took any words seriously and casually answered as Jordon was just another one of his friends. "I was," he said strolling over to Qiana's bed and plopping down, "I just wanted to see what you were doing all by your lonesome self, there's gonna be another meet up for the summer solstice, you down on going?"

Qiana's blue eyes met with a brown one. Caz wasn't average but bold, short haircut, a jersey, shorts, and tattoos, but what really made him different was the way he acted as he was his own leader, something Qiana was a little jealous of. "I'm not sure, I heard about it but all the way in that rural part of Texas," she replied sounding worried, "It's a ghost town and the stories that surround it give me the creeps." Caz responded ecstatically, "But that's what's so great about it! The chainsaw wielding maniac, and the murdering religious zealot children! I wonder if those Australian runts you like so much visit there." Qiana became a little irritated at that notion, those "runts" weren't that bad, they were just abandoned. "Either way I'm a little skeptical about it."

Caz jumped out of the bed and took Qiana by the wrist "Lets go for a little walk around then eh?"

"In this heat?"

"Why not? Look I know you got white skin but you won't burn up that badly if you're outside for a little bit."

Another thing Qiana was insecure about - she was pale.

"I guess not." She finally said. They walked down the stairs into the living room where Mr. and Mrs. Bullard were. Sweetest old couple you'll ever meet and both in late 60s, they adopted orphaned children in hopes to eventually integrate them into the common clans. Smiling at them both briefly before Caz kept pulling her to outside, as Qiana was blinded by the high sun.

"So you got really spooked when I came in your room, you thought I was gonna be ma or pa busting you huh?" He teased, "I think anybody looking at you would suppose you never said a curse word in your life."

Balancing on a fence post along the dirt road, Qiana replied curtly, "Like an angel without its wings."

After a short smile, Caz changed the subject, "Well, have you decided yet?"

"On what?"

"The get together in the ghost town c'mon!"

"Oh, well if you can give me a lift and back from there then I'll go. The car I was using needs work." She said sighing disappointingly, Qiana hated asking for favors.

Caz stretch and yawned out, "Well old cars will do that to ya."

A stretch of silence followed along with the rustling of a pleasant breeze. Qiana thought about the rumors that surrounded that area, from a cannibalistic inbred family, to migrated killer children she hoped none of it was true, then again her species is considered a myth.

Glancing back over to Caz, she then reminded herself of her own secret. Caz, Ma, and Germs were the only ones who knew about it.

"Caz you're not bothered too much by that "thing" right?"

Caz was no bigmouth, Qiana was most innocent to him, "Not at all, I mean yeah sure I was a little weirded out by it but I know your religion was something of your family and identity. Your secrets safe with me." Smiling, he continued, "Don't worry I won't rat you out like other shifters would, besides I'm your friend." Stopping, Qiana hugged Caz, relieved that her worries of being revealed to the authorities, she knew Caz would never do such a thing neither would Germs or ma Bullard. Both walked back home at dusk, still leaving Qiana in her thoughts, she couldn't help but feel depressed...in her discreet society, it's one of a few tight rules that every joined member should never take part of organized religion or almost any religion. It was something that her devout Christian parents were prosecuted for by death. Still, she held her beliefs in secrecy, fearing one day the Bullard family's ranch would be burned down and have the blonde heretic lynched for all to see and labeled as weak minded.

* * *

><p>The next day, she packed for the weekend trip. Saying her goodbyes and hugging the Bullards and the little ones tight, she helped her friend Germs prepare, he either over packed or packed very little. Qiana waved her final goodbye and got in the car with Caz, Germs, and Caz friend Jordon. He was the type of person hard to make friends with. Driving down the roads as they stretched and turned, Germs had been talking with Qiana about his newest collection of grass spiders, he had an aspiration to be a Arachnologists as he had a liking to spiders. Qiana remembers when they were kids Germs would pick up spiders with his bare hands and let them outside or get them close enough to her face to freak her out. Caz and Jordon conversation overheard about who they'll meet up with and what kind of shit they'd get into. Qiana saw out the window every so often when her and Germs talks would take a pause, passing by mountains and valleys and hills of dessert meeting a blue sky. She guessed they'd reach the venue at the right time at night, when the stars were brightest.<p>

"Man I hate this heat." Germs said as he began to pick at the scabs on his arms - a force of a junkie. He had freckles everywhere on his skin, his green eyes looked tired from sleepless nights and his once lush brown hair had been shaven to near skin. Germs hatred of his hair started when his addiction did, when strung out he'd think his bugs escaped their cages and would try to eat his scalp. But nonetheless he was Qiana's friend and so she didn't treat him any differently despite his habits. She remembered the old days where he would go through her window in the middle of the night just to talk with her about anything. He was lonely constantly due to abandonment issues which reduced him from doing anything but killing himself. He was still a sweet person that Qiana wished would get better. "You think there's rumors are true?" Germs said in his placid voice, startling Qiana's out of her daydream.

"Hell, I know some of its true," Jordon interjected ,"My friend Andrew went out there last summer with his girl and almost got got by the chainsaw maniac."

Qiana wasn't fooled, "How'd he survive then?"

He turned around from the passenger front seat, "They shifted and got the fuck out of there, duhh?"

She crossed her arms,"I didn't think your friends were capable of being smart." She snarled back, Jordon just laughed and said, "You'd be surprised." And continued talking aloud of other things he heard of. Most of it sounded all the same, from being chased out by estranged children who had once praised their "Lord" of some twisted following.

"Good thing shifters agreed to not practice religion, we'd be like every other wacko" Caz interrupted. Qiana ignored what was being talked and fell asleep leaning beside the window.

* * *

><p><em>And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall, tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call, call Alice when she was just small<em>

_A Wide open forest. Run. Run. Run. Looking back, seeing a flaming fire. Run. Run . Run. Somebody is pulling you a hand is all I see around mine. Run. Run. Run. We're being chase now. Panting. The floor of dirt slips from under us and all I can see below my fall is a dark abyss. And above me I can see the person. Clear as day. Falling._

_A thud._

* * *

><p><span>Qiana POV<span>

I woke up up to an abrupt stop, which pushed me forward in a jolt.

It was all a dream.

Caz and Jordon cackled, and Germs asked if I was ok and saying it wasn't funny.

"C'mon were having a little fun that's what's this all about !" Said Caz as he turned off the car and everyone got out. Stepping out I saw shifters of all kinds around scattered bonfires. Music was through the air as well as alcohol and drugs. Looking farther to the horizon I saw desert that stretched out for miles into nothingness and how rocky the terrain been. I wondered how I was able to sleep throughout the bumpy ride...

_"Feed your head!"_

Having a flashback of the dream I immediately remember the vivid details, except who was it that was pulling me? I can't remember who they were. Daydreaming into the night of endless stars I tired to remember. Nothing. Shrugging I saw Caz and Jordon go off with some of their friends while germs and I went to go walk around from the bonfires. We weren't that social unless Caz made us talk to people. And as we walked the stars kept glistening above unrelenting to die out while the ground was littered with trash and dried shrubs with few Joshua trees scattered.

"I wonder if those legends are true," Germs mentioned, "I mean out here I think anyone can get away with murder. "

I shook my head while stepping over old tire chains, "Even if that was true I still don't believe it. Sure, it might happen but I think it's all one thing that's in the past, no one would linger out here."

There was still some talk coming from Germs about the fibs and tales and it was a while long walk from the camp, when up ahead, there was a glowing light penetrating the Texas lone night

A gas station.

* * *

><p><span>Malachai's POV<span>

"4 months...4 months since Issac met his fate, and we found this God-forsaken family."

Malachi reminisced about that night in his head over and over of the outlanders coming into Gatlin and taking everything they've ever known. Their God was a false god, and their parents...he didn't have time for regret, none of the children did. Just wanting to survive and move on from those horrors. It was him and a handful of other kids left, others had died along the way and no one knew of what had become of Job and Sarah.

"Damn them anyways." He said in a grumble as he struck a log in half, a days work was never done especially that day Malachi helped Tommy clean his workspace and sharpen some of his knives. Tommy was kind but didn't say much, and sometimes would flinch if you got to near him or when Hoyt would become an ass, sometimes he was bearable. Luda Mae, was nice as can be, her brother-in-law Drayton and his twin sons were a couple of loonies but one had a killer taste in music while the other had talent in taxidermy animals and humans alike. Anne Sawyer was a disabled woman that was a real head biter, she had her three sons, Alfredo, Tinker, and Tex who was more sane than any of them and the funnest. A distant branch of the family, the Slaughter trio were a little less dangerous, and more stupid. There was W.E who was eccentric, literate, but wasn't so good on keeping conversations on track, and at one point Darla would innocently ask me for favors around the house, until Vilmer got a sting of jealousy. There's also the occasional visits of Henrietta and her obese mother Gladys, polite ladies but sorta "imply" a bit too much. Lastly the ghastly figures of their deceased older relatives that they keep in their attic's... I don't really go up there much for obvious reason.

Life on a property of communal houses can get a bit crowded even more when we joined, but after miles of traveling, rejections from town to town, and losing friends along the way, the rural Texan desert is a paradise. Besides resorting to cannibalism of course, but nonetheless.

I picked up my axe and head to the housing for the other Gatlin children. The Hewitts, Slaughters, and Sawyers helped remodeled the once old and decrypted abandoned house in the back. The moon was high in the sky the stars danced in the clear sky. Midnight I reckon. Closing the door behind me, being quiet as I could I went to go wash up for a night's rest. Suddenly, Rachel, appeared from the hall down, "Malachi," she said a loud.

I jumped and in a hoarse whisper, "Rachel! What are you doing up?!"

"Hoyt told me to tell you to be on the lookout tonight, Luda Mae spotted out some campers 5 miles west from the gas station." She explained. I bit down my lip, I was willing enough to kill people more than the others, but after the passing of the False One, killing for others seemed to be difficult each time for all of us. But hey, family's gotta eat. Rachel went back to bed, I grabbed a coat and headed outside once again looking above the sky only seemed to get darker.

I sighed, "Dear God let this be a short night. " And started walking down the dirt road.

* * *

><p><span>Qiana's POV<span>

Heading over to the gas station the smell of burning mesquite penetrated the air. Germs and I peered into the windows, no one was in and no light on. Looking towards the back an old smoker was going where the burning smell was coming from. "Who would burn a bush in a smoker especially at this hour? And nobody's even here." Germs spoke. I shrugged, "Could be they would be back soon. Even if the gas station is closed, their outside lights are still on, someone may come back." Turning my attention, I smelled something else around the corner of the station. It was a tinge rotten and foul like it was out for a long while under damp conditions and heat. It was coming from a car garage conjoined with the rest stop. After a few moments later and a couple more steps I knew what the smell exactly was. I called out for my friend, "Germs?"

"Yeah?" He came over to me, "What's up?"

"Do you smell that?"

He sniffed. His pupils dilated. "Smells like...no...roadkill."

I turned to him, trembling. "Ain't just any roadkill...I know that's dead human."

"Hey maybe we should get out of here, we shouldn't be messin' around here anyways," Germs said worriedly, "We should meet back with the others." I nodded my head. Walking toward the front of the station with Germs we were met with am upsetting sound.

A gun cocking.

"Weeellll, looky here!" An old man with a southern drawl in a sheriff's uniform said with two other men standing along his side. "Looks like we got ourselves two lovebirds snooping around on an honest business!"The sheriff then spat out chewing tobacco.

One of the men with him had a foggy eye chuckled and said,"Hell they might've been looting me and my brothers establishment, little shits. " I began to protest saying we weren't trying to cause no trouble when the 3rd man, a blonde with a cowboy hat interrupted,"Well little lady, you and this boy found yourself trouble." The sheriff stoically but sternly added, "Get in the back of my fucking car, and I don't want to hear a peep outta any of yer sorry asses!"

Pointing his shotgun at me and germs we complied and followed his orders as we then drove farther away from our kin.


End file.
